27 Aug Keeping My Brain Fit – Or How a Stitch in Time Might Save Mine
I’ve just listened to a Stephen Bartlett Diary of a CEO podcast about how our reliance on AI and tech can affect brain health. It’s pretty terrifying. There are also endless studies and reports about brain atrophy across all generations. So that makes me determined to keep my brain active. Plus, my dad had dementia and if I can avoid going down that road, I will. No one should suffer that.
The daily challenges
Of course, I’m not perfect. I enjoy wine, I probably don’t get enough sleep, I don’t like oily fish, have used Satnav religiously for years, and now AI has crept into parts of my work. Apart from the dietary factors, outsourcing too much thinking clearly isn’t great for our brains.
On the positive side, I exercise regularly, read often and love word games and 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles. They all keep my brain ticking over. But as the years march on, it gets harder to learn new things. Don’t get me started on the GP appointment booking system…
Looking for a new brain health challenge
This made me determined to push myself and learn something completely new. My other half plays the guitar and I’m in awe of anyone who can
a) play a musical instrument,
b) translate the squiggly notes into sound, and
c) remember a gazillion songs.
So music is out for me. Your ears remain safe – you can thank me later.
I wanted to do something creative, something where I could see the result. So when I found a cute little teddy bear crochet kit (named Hugo Bear), I grabbed it. My tiny mind obviously thought, “It’s just a bear. A child could do it.”
Cue Hugo Bear – and Milo Dog
Three months later, I finally opened the box. Actually, Milo the dog opened it first and appeared with a bear-coloured ball of wool in his mouth.
Then I saw the instructions. What was this hell? They might as well have been in Greek. Why did I think I could start with a 3D toy? Surely a square would have been the place to start – a granny square, I believe they’re called.
A quick Reddit search confirmed it: granny squares are the perfect beginner project. Thanks, swanli4, I should have asked you first.
Hard – but worth it?
On balance, though, while my brain almost melted looking at those instructions, if it were easy, it wouldn’t be challenging. So I am going to bite the bullet. I’ll watch tutorial videos (back in the day that would have meant following pictures in a borrowed library book) and face my woolly nemesis.
Will a Hugo Bear-ish shape emerge from my crochet hook? Who knows. But the point is, my brain will get the workout it needs – and that’s worth every dropped stitch. And now I’ve put it out there, I have some accountability – I must at least start the bear.
Your turn now … What’s the last new skill you tried to learn – and how did it challenge your brain? I’d love to hear your stories (and your tips if you happen to be a secret crochet whizz…).
And don’t forget, alongside my soon-to-be-started hobby, I write words for other people’s businesses. So if you need me to get you off the hook (ha ha) word-wise, give me a shout.